Getting stronger in The Blood of Dawnwalker happens two ways: you improve your gear with merchants, and you improve your character at Shrines. This guide covers both, step by step.
Equipment upgrades
Three merchants will improve what you carry:
| Merchant | Location | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Armourer | Maragir, in his shop, seated on a stool | Equipment |
| Blacksmith | Parlita, town centre, shop facing the Shrine | Weaponry and equipment |
| Vera the Witch | The Maragir Wealds, west, in the marsh | Equipment (also sells recipes, manuals, ingredients) |
How the menu works
- Talk to any of the three and pick the upgrade option (the Armourer literally offers “Improve my equipment”).
- Left — your inventory of upgradable items.
- Middle — the item’s upgrade level and the Denarii cost.
- Right — a preview of the improved stats.
- Pay the Denarii and the upgrade applies.
The only resource consumed is Denarii; there are no ore, wood or stone requirements. Each merchant shares the same menu layout, so it doesn’t matter much which you visit.
Perk and ability upgrades
Your character grows through skill points, spent at Shrines:
- Level up → gain 1 skill point.
- Open the perk/ability menu and make the rank available:
- Swordmastery and Witchcraft ranks usually require finding or buying the relevant manual.
- Vampirism ranks require raising your Corruption to the needed tier.
- Spend 1 skill point to unlock the perk or ability.
- For active abilities, add them to a Quick Slot to use them; passive abilities must also be slotted to grant their bonus.
Shrines
Shrines are roadside checkpoints where you manage perks, storage and fast travel, and wait to advance time. Some Shrines must be restored first, which costs a time segment; until then they’re inert.
Quick Slots
You start with two kits — one for day, one for night — each holding up to 4 active abilities. Three perks expand those slots:
- Forbidden Sigils (Witchcraft)
- Vrakhiri Might (Vampirism)
- Master Fencer (Swordmastery)
A passive ability slotted but unequipped does nothing, and an active ability must be slotted to use on demand — keep both kits topped up as you unlock more.